Welcome to Number 6

This month we are crossing the half-a-year mark with this sixth issue. I have been amazed by how well the newsletter has been received, and several people have told me how much they appreciate the choice of topics, authors, and the general substance. It remains to be seen if we will be able to sustain it!

This month my esteemed colleague, Gary Angel, offers an important, radical article. He reminds us that numbers without context are not only meaningless, but can be outright dangerous to good decision making. Gary, through compelling arguments, clearly shows us how often simplicity can be the enemy of truth. And at the risk of sounding trivial, isn’t truth what analytics is all about?

When I first read Gary’s contribution, I thought it was extremely refreshing: finally something rather critical in a time when polite agreement seems to be the order of the day. I personally think that there are so many dubious ideas out there online, half-truths, especially in Marketing, that circulate at Twitter speed, and are repeated enough to the point of appearing true. I see critical thinking as one of the most important qualities in an analyst, only second to curiosity.

As for myself, critical thinking is precisely what I explore. I believe analysts should not seek to be popular, although I agree making friends is nicer…